Chombo probes councils

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THE GOVERNMENT has dispatched auditors to investigate remuneration at local authorities, months after it was revealed that some officials were paying themselves obscene salaries.

THE GOVERNMENT has dispatched auditors to investigate remuneration at local authorities, months after it was revealed that some officials were paying themselves obscene salaries.

Chief Reporter

Early this year it was revealed that executives were awarding themselves obscene packages with some town clerks earning as much as $20 000.

Cabinet moved to impose a $6 000 cap on perks and a task force was launched to probe the salaries.

Beitbridge senator Tambudzani Mohadi last week asked Local Government, Public Works and National Housing minister, Ignatius Chombo on measures that have been taken against officials that were found guilty of offences relating to the high salaries and allowances.

Chombo through Home Affairs deputy minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told Senate remuneration audits in local authorities were still on-going.

“Information relevant to salaries and allowances of management in rural district councils and urban council has been furnished to the office of the president and Cabinet through my ministry,” he said.

“This was done in the context of the ongoing exercise to come up with an appropriate remuneration framework for parastatals, State enterprises and local authorities.

“The same information was subsequently published in the media.

“However, following receipt of the information in question, it became apparent that the data needed to be authenticated.

“Accordingly, under the direction of the Cabinet Committee on State Enterprises and Parastatals Development, auditors have been deployed to local authorities to establish the quantum of salaries, allowances and other benefits that local authorities and chief executive officers are getting.

“Once that process is concluded, the said Cabinet committee will then finalise the remuneration for local authority staff.

“These audits will establish whether or not salaries, allowances and other benefits being received by individual chief executive officers/town clerks/town secretaries were procedurally awarded.

“Once that process is concluded, the ministry will be in a position to take appropriate action to rectify any identified anomalies” Chombo said.

Chombo in May deployed a probe team to Gwanda after it emerged that former town clerk Gilbert Mlilo was among the highest earners in the country.

According to figures that were released by Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa at the time, Mlilo’s basic pay was $6 766,37 but it was bumped up by numerous allowances, which included responsibility $2 706,55 professional $2 368,23, retention $2 368,23, telephone $1 014,96, cellphone allowance $1 014,96 and housing and car benefits of $278,58.

Mlilo has since retired.